Equation of Power
by of self
Summary: It was no longer about the remote. They were fighting for something else. Derek/Casey.


So, I'm sitting in music class and listening to this old lady sing these really sweet devotional songs and all of a sudden I'm on a different tangent, thinking of Derek, Casey, a remote and all sorts of things that made me feel extremely guilty and embarrassed. This didn't go so far though, do I did giggle a fair bit while writing it. I couldn't help it! Also sorry for the title. I just couldn't find anything else and this one vaguely made sense to me so I chose it.

Anyhow this was sort of inspired by the latest chapter of WLS's Distractions where there was a remote fight which was incredibly tension filled. :)

Disclaimer - I don't own the Bolshoi Ballet Company or LwD or Geroge Clooney.

Playlist - Hotel California - The Eagles.

* * *

For once things were quiet in the Mcdonald-Venturi household. Deceptively quiet almost.

The reason?

Well it was quite simple. Almost all the family was out. Except for Derek and Casey. They were coming home soon.

And soon enough they were home, Derek strolling in a few moments after Casey entered the house. The first thing that alerted Casey to Derek's arrival was the overripe, sickly smell that preceded him. The sweet _sweet_ scent of his hockey bag, the very recipe for insta-puke. She choked and gagged as the smell wafted in.

"Der-ek! Your bag stinks!" she squeaked, speaking with her nose pinched close.

"Space-Case, how observant," Derek said smiling fondly at her, as one would do at a little child when the child had done something particularly clever.

"Please Derek, please for the love of God, leave it outside before it turns the food bad," Casey said still squeaking nasally.

"And the magic word is," Derek asked smoothly, dangling the bag near her with an unreadable look in his eyes, while Casey inched away slowly in fear. That bag had to be teeming with all kinds of bacteria. Especially of the staphylococci kind which caused all kinds of infections that would lead to amputations of limbs. Oh God, why couldn't he stop tormenting her. It frustrated her to no end, these constant mood swings of his. One moment he was nice, the next moment he was his same-old demon like self. She just didn't get it.

"Please," Casey said a little confused, gathering her rampantly going off tangent thoughts. She had already said please and as far as she knew, weren't polite words the magic words? Or was he expecting something of the abracadabra kind. She didn't know but she'd try if it would get the bag away from her.

Derek sighed and backed off. Casey for her all her cleverness didn't really get him sometimes. And he wasn't going to put the bag near her. He just thought that maybe threatening her with death by hockey bag stench might cause her to do something he'd been wanting her to do for a long time.

To tell the truth, the stench coming from his bag was a little too strong for him too. Though he'd go hang himself upside down before he admitted that to Casey. He held the bag some distance away opened the back door and tossed it out into the yard where a good drying in the sun would make it smell at least slightly better.

Casey finally let go of her nose and breathed in the air with relief only to gag again. She opened the cupboards which housed all of the cleaning materials and spayed the kitchen liberally with pine scented air-freshener. This time it was Derek's turn to choke as he coughed as if he were hacking a lung out.

"Geez, Casey. Isn't this a little too much?" Derek asked as his nose violently protested against the air freshener and then somehow gave in.

"It was this or your stink-bag. I chose to breathe." Casey said as she yanked open the fridge to take out some grape juice. She poured it into a glass and was about to take a sip when Derek swooped in and took the glass from her. Casey fumed. Why, why of all people, did _he_ have to be her stupid step-brother? Did the gods not love her even one bit?

"Thanks Case," Dere said breezily said as he took a sip and let the cold juice slip down his throat. This was heaven and then Casey smacked him upside on the head which destroyed that whole concept soon enough.

"Hey, what was that for?" he asked frowning at Casey. She just took her juice, gave him a dirty look and marched into the living room. Derek sighed and after picking up the carton and taking a healthy swig he trailed behind her.

Casey sat on one side of the couch with her legs curled under her and drank her juice. Derek sat on his chair and for a few moments the only sounds that could be heard were Casey's sips. Soon even that was done and now the only sounds that could be heard were Derek's slow measured breathing and Casey's slightly shorter and much more hurried one.

The remote lay between them. Feeling a need to fill the awkward silence between them both of them reached for the remote at the same time and immediately snatched back their fingers when they tocuhed as if they had been burnt.

Casey did feel like she had been burnt. Derek's touch was like fire…and as cheesy as that felt, admitting it, it was true. She tentatively reached for the remote and held only to have it tugged at by Derek.

"Derek, let go. I want to watch." She said as she tried to make him let go of it.

"I want to watch. There's beach volleyball going on." Derek said tugging harder on the remote. However Casey held on resolutely. The remote was an instrument of power. Who ever held it could make the other dance to their whim. And while she had every intention of making Derek dance and she had no intention of dancing to Derek's wishes.

"Well, I want to watch a special on the Bolshoi Ballet Company, which is actually of some significance." Casey said disdainfully, feeling rather inwardly annoyed with him. That was another of her peeves with him. He was such a skirt chasing cad and completely prone to objectifying women and looking at them as sex symbols alone without any regard for their feeling or intelligence. And she did shout herself hoarse about how he could do better but he never seemed to listen.

"Beach volleyball is of significance Case. You shouldn't be so derisive of the occupations of the other members of your sex." Casey just snorted at this piece of witticism from Derek. Please he didn't watch beach volleyball for the sport; he watched it for the bikini babes. She told him as much and all she got was a charming smile in return and a lazy response.

"You know me too well Spacey." He tugged once more on the remote but Casey didn't let go. This was quickly descending into stalemate territory. He gave it one final tug but somehow the remote slipped from his hands and Casey smiled triumphantly. Derek's gaze narrowed and he lunged at her, except Casey who had been expecting this dodged and Derek hit the soft cushions on the couch instead.

Casey quickly turned on the TV only to have Derek tackle her from behind. He tried to keep her still and take the remote but Casey wriggled like a worm and slipped put of his grip. The remote fell on the floor and lay between them. They both stood in the centre, circling the remote, treating it like prey to be captured. They both wanted to win the remote. It was no longer a remote. It was now something more.

Suddenly with a quickness that Derek didn't see coming, Casey picked up the remote and before Derek could even grab it back from her, she stuffed it into her bra.

Casey felt a blush bloom along her cheeks. She didn't know what possessed her to stuff the remote into her bra of all places. Derek was stunned. This was so unlike Casey. However if this was how she wanted to play, then he would play her game.

Derek flew at her and taking Casey completely by surprise, he tackled her to the floor. Casey now lay on the carpet, tightly wedged between Derek's body and the carpet.

The air was filled with a buzz that was resounding heavily in ears. A few moments later she realized it was tension. She felt uncomfortable but she didn't want to move, staying wedged between the floor and Derek's body was…nice. Derek wasn't heavy but this was the first time she could feel his wiry frame flush against hers and it felt extremely good. She cheeks burnt with the direction her thoughts were taking.

So far, they had so many verbal spats and because that there existed a tension between them. This was a different kind of tension all together.

Derek for his part rather liked the blush that came and went from Casey's cheeks. This was his first opportunity to examine her up, close and personal. And he liked what he saw even more. Casey had such pretty eyes, they were the color of clear blue skies. Her skin looked really soft and he could even see the find golden hairs on her face. Derek was enjoying this very much indeed. Close proximity like this , especially with Casey was the stuff of dreams.

Casey stared into Derek's face. Derek wasn't insanely handsome or anything like that but he had something else going for him that not many people did. He simply oozed charm, just like George Clooney. And he could charm the pants off anyone from little girls to cranky old ladies. His voice had a certain pitch to it which whenever used made her go weak in the knees. At first she was annoyed because she didn't want to be like every other girl at school. But after a few months had passed, she realized that she was just like every other girl at school. Derek somehow or the other had gotten under her skin.

Derek lifted one hand as if to take the remote and Casey flinched because taking the remote meant Derek would have to touch…he would have to touch her chest…she shivered. She had never imagined that a simple fight for the remote would escalate into something more.

However Derek didn't go anywhere and instead his hand traced her cheek. Casey stared into his twinkling eyes, seeing something new there today. She saw a vulnerability that was leaving everything out in the open. Feeling her eyes beginning to well a little, she lifted a hand and brushed his cheek. Derek slowly smiled and bent his head down.

As Derek's lips began to descend, Casey's eyes fluttered close. When Derek's felt Casey's soft lips against his, he almost sighed with happiness. This was happiness. He enjoyed the taste of grape juice on her lips. It was so much better on her lips than it was from the bottle.

He gently applied pressure and Casey's lips parted. He hesitated a little, wondering if Casey was going to bolt if he made the next move when Casey's tongue darted out and grazed his teeth. Derek was agreeably surprised and his mouth relaxed even more. Casey's tongue slowly slipped in and Derek's hands began slowly wandering downwards. He couldn't help it. Casey's tongue in his mouth and her cool fingers on his face were making his brain short circuit leaving him in no possession of his senses.

His hands were just beginning to dance along the satin-like skin of her stomach under her t-shirt when the door clicked. Both Derek and Casey hurriedly parted and jumped up and sat on the couch. Casey quickly extricated the remote from her bra and Derek stared unabashedly at the peek he got of smooth brown skin (drool) before the shirt went up again. Casey quickly switched in the TV and at that moment the door opened and the whole family piled in, looking happy and cheerful.

"Nora, Lizzie," Derek said causally as he leaned back against his chair.

"George, Ed, Marti," Casey acknowledged as she tried to look as involved as possible in the TV.

"It's so nice to come home to a peaceful home," Nora said her eyes shining at the thought that for maybe once Casey and Derek had gotten along. But the sheen disappeared a few moments later when reality hit her. Casey and Derek getting along was next to impossible.

"What's wrong?" she asked worriedly while the rest of the family waited on tenterhooks.

"Nothing, I find it reprehensible that you have so little faith in us Nora, I'm disappointed in you, I expected better." Derek said with a very convincing air of outrage. Nora looked a little flustered and George looked worried. Derek using what amounted to officialese was a little worrying.

Casey just stared at Derek and shook her head in amusement. Only Nora and George cherished somewhat improbable hopes that Derek would one day change. Edwin and Lizzie on the other hand were smirking. Derek hadn't fooled them for even one bit. They knew something had gone down.

"I'm sorry Derek for doubting you," Nora said sincerely with George nodding along. Casey repressed the giggle that was threatening to come bubbling out.

"It's okay Nora, we all make mistakes," Derek said graciously while Nora smiled and shepherded everyone else into the kitchen for some snacks.

Casey and Derek continued to sit on the couch watching something that made no sense at all. Casey suddenly stood up and Derek watched her warily. He wondered what she was going to do. Casey walked up to Derek's chair and bent low until her lips were near Derek's left ear.

"Want to finish what we started?" Casey whispered into Derek's ears. And all Derek could do was acquiesce helplessly. Casey warm breath in the shell of his ear was making his brain do complicated cartwheels and had also robbed him of the power of speech.

"Then meet me upstairs," Casey said her voice sounding high and breathy to even her own ears. And feeling extremely bold, she quickly pressed her lips to his ear and ran off to the safety of her room. She had surprised even herself with her audacity.

A few moments she heard a war whoop of delight and she smiled. Clearly Derek had liked it.

Derek whooped and jumped out of his chair and quickly ran up the stairs.

This had to be the best day ever. And to think that it had all started with a fight over a remote. Oh, he was definitely going to finish what he started.

A few moments later the family heard a few squeals and shrieks and concluded that Derek and Casey were back to their normal quarrelling selves.

Well, the quiet was nice while it lasted, Nora reflected as she shelled peas for dinner. Those two keeping quiet had actually scared her. When she knew they were quarrelling, she knew that everything was okay.

* * *

"Derek, stop tickling me, Mom will know something's up." Casey said in between giggling from Derek's tickle and pepper her face with kisses attack.

"Why? She thinks we're 'fighting'." Derek said using air quote around the word fighting. Casey looked at him for a moment before realizing that he was right.

"Oh, well. Let's fight." She said before drawing him down for a kiss. Derek grinned before pressing his lips against hers.

This was_ so_ his kind of fighting.

* * *

reviews anyone?


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